


all that may very well end badly

by santanico



Category: Almost Human
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Threesome - F/M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-27
Updated: 2014-02-23
Packaged: 2018-01-10 05:14:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1155523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/santanico/pseuds/santanico
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Valerie and Dorian have ideas and John isn't sure how interested in them he is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. john

**Author's Note:**

> this is probably going to be a two-parter but i can't make any promises so for now it's a standalone. i really like this dynamic? and i hope it's explored in show. but for now, let's just write fic and cry.
> 
> edit: i plan on writing three parts for each character's pov

Tuesdays are Rudy’s night, and somehow Thursdays become Valerie’s. John isn’t sure if it’s the natural progression of getting back to work, but it’s been months now since he woke up and somehow that’s just how it ends up. Two nights a week (sometimes three, but usually the Captain passes on Friday night drinks), John, Dorian, and someone else in the precinct’s inner circle, go out to a nearby bar and eat and drink. Well, John and the second person eat and drink – Dorian usually happily gossips and makes comments about John’s intake.

They’re sitting at their designated booth, and it’s the same waitress they’ve had every week since the trend started who serves them. John is losing track of what Valerie’s saying – something about Dorian’s particular brand of uncanny strength that gets into a description of him climbing up a building last week to catch a suspect in a robbery.

“John?” Valerie says, and John looks up to see her holding her glass of bourbon and raising an eyebrow at him. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” he says, leaning back in the booth. He and Dorian sit on one side and whoever else is with them, Rudy or Valerie or Maldonado, always sit on the other side. It’s a pattern that John can’t exactly explain but no one questions it, and Valerie at least always seems very comfortable in watching them.

She continues, “So, what exactly prompted them to make you that way?” Valerie is blunt with Dorian but John never feels a tension arise when she asks him questions – rather, Dorian always gives his little half-smile and his eyes get a little brighter, somehow, as if Valerie’s awareness makes him proud.

“I’m not actually entirely sure,” Dorian admits, shrugging. “The super strength, the speed and power, those things obviously aren’t available in the MX models.” John glances over at Dorian and watches as he hesitates. “I think…after we were decommissioned, they must have determined that it was – a bad idea. To say the least.”

Valerie shakes her head. “It seems helpful.”

“It’s destructive,” John says quietly and Dorian nods. “Kind of like – you don’t know your power and you could do things with it that would harm others.” Dorian keeps nodding and closes his eyes, humming along. John pauses before adding, “It does have its perks.”

Valerie laughs. “So, how’s the living situation?” The sudden topic change makes but John and Dorian jolt and they frown at each other before simultaneously looking at Valerie. She smiles and ducks her head. “Didn’t mean to intrude,” she teases, taking a sip of her drink. She picks a French fry off of her plate and takes a bite, sitting up again and using it to gesture. “News travels,” she explains as John and Dorian continue to stare at her. “You were living with Rudy,” she says, addressing Dorian, “but that wasn’t working out – I wonder why – and John finally caved and talked to Maldonado. It’s very sweet.”

“Sweet,” John repeats, clearing his throat. “I think I need another beer.”

Dorian is still frowning and John isn’t sure if it’s because of what Valerie said or about John needing more to drink. He flags down the waitress and asks her for another bottle of beer and she nods and heads away.

“I didn’t realize this was such a touchy subject,” Valerie says, taking up another fry and chewing slowly. “Did I breech some unspoken territory? Did you two break up and no one knows yet?”

Dorian’s frown deepens and she gives him a questioning look.

John is at a loss for words.

“Okay, you’re both making me think the worst – which is probably way more dramatic than what’s actually going on.” The waitress drops off the beer and asks if anyone needs anything. “Could I get another order of fries, actually? I think I need to sober up.”

“Coming right up,” the waitress says, leaving again. Valerie turns back to John and Dorian.

“So, trouble in paradise? Is that what’s going on?”

“First of all,” John starts, then, “Uhh. We’re not. There’s nothing – there’s nothing between Dorian and I that…”

“Of course there isn’t,” Valerie says, but her smile never falters. “No one thinks that,” she assures them. “I mean, why would they?”

Dorian is frowning at John now who takes a long drink from his beer. “John is lying,” Dorian says and John groans. “I only say so because I believe you deserve to know,” Dorian continues, turning to look at Valerie. “Considering you have been pursuing a relationship with John Kennex for the last few months.”

“Oh, have I?” Valerie says with a laugh, hardly reacting to being told about John and Dorian’s relationship. “I didn’t even realize. I thought we were just becoming fast friends,” she says.

“I’m sorry if I misread your advances,” Dorian says, but he doesn’t sound sorry at all, and his voice is just a little too mechanical. “I meant no disrespect.”

“No,” Valerie says, eyeing Dorian like he’s a challenge. “None taken. I appreciate you letting me know, I’m sure John would have just kept leading me on.”

“Hey,” John interjects. “I’m not sure what exactly’s happening right now and I don’t think I really like it, but I didn’t _lead you on_.” Dorian shakes his head and Valerie laughs. “Anyway, we’re not exactly looking to go public about whatever it is that’s…been happening.”

“He’s Dorian,” Valerie says in a soft voice. “I’m not the least bit surprised. So I’m the only one who knows?”

“You’re the only one,” John says, shaking his head. “That won’t last.”

“Do you think I’m a gossip?” Valerie says, but she laughs to lighten the idea. “Who am I going to tell? Paul? Rudy? The Captain? I’d sound like an idiot, and _you’d_ be fired,” she says, pointing to John, “and _you’d_ be decommissioned. Again.” She gives Dorian a look. “I’m sure you understand.”

Dorian’s eyes are sharp and focused in a way that John isn’t used to, and he hesitates because while he’s pretty sure Valerie isn’t threatening them, she isn’t exactly laughing either. She and Dorian continue to eye each other, and John squints at them.

“Are you two comparing dick sizes?” he asks and Valerie and Dorian shoot him identical glares.

“Don’t be so old fashioned,” Dorian says, “Your comment is meaningless, unnecessary, and frankly bigoted.”

Valerie nods. John blinks. “Sorry,” he says, settling back down in the booth. “What exactly is happening, then? You’re both just…eyeing each other up.”

“Detective Stahl’s interest has been piqued. She’s determining _our_ level of interest now, in her.”

Valerie scowls, and it doesn’t look right on the soft curves of her face. She tucks back a strand of hair before crossing her arms over her chest. The waitress brings the fries and asks if they’d like the check, and John nods and adds a thank you before turning back to look at Valerie. She doesn’t touch her new fries.

“ _Our_ interest?” John asks Dorian, glancing at him. “What does that mean?” He’s annoyed by Dorian and Valerie’s unspoken argument that he doesn’t quite understand. Usually he’s able to figure people out, but the way they’re responding to each other is confusing as fuck.

“She does want to sleep with you, John,” Dorian explains slowly, keeping his gaze on Valerie. John looks at Valerie in time to see her face flush and her lips purse. “She is determining whether or not I would allow such a thing.”

“Oh, so now I’m just – I’m just your boy toy?” He frowns at both of them but neither of them is looking at him. “Okay, this is just getting uncomfortable. It looks like you two actually want to fuck each other so maybe I’m the third wheel.”

“There is no third wheel,” Dorian interjects, giving a sharp shake of his head. “Polyamory isn’t exactly uncommon, John. It isn’t that Detective Stahl wants to sleep with you, and only you. She’s trying to understand me, now. She’s trying to peek into my head.”

John leans back and sighs. “How’s that working for you, Val?” he asks, trying to ignore how much of this conversation is centered around his dick. Or something.

“Not well,” Valerie says in a quiet voice. She rubs her lips together and then sighs, lifting his palms n surrender. “I guess we should really just be adults about it,” she continues, “instead of playing staring contest until one of us gives up.”

John notices Dorian smiling and then both of their gazes land on him. “What?”

“You’re the last person,” Dorian says. “Valerie and I have come to an agreement and now we’re just making sure you’re also in a position of agreement.”

Heat flares up in John’s stomach and he swallows down the churning in his gut. The conversation hadn’t really seemed serious up until now, but with Dorian and Valerie both giving him hungry looks, he feels like a rabbit caught in a trap.

“Um.”

Valerie’s expression softens and she looks away, taking a sip of her glass of water and eating a few fries. Dorian looks away as well, eyeing Valerie’s fries. He doesn’t eat, but John thinks Dorian sometimes wishes he did.

“You can take some time to think it over,” Dorian says and there’s sincerity in his voice that makes John jerk up. They’ve been in this bar for god knows how long now and the tension between their bodies isn’t even sexual at this point; it’s just there, buried between them in an awkward past that’s not so past anymore.

John clears his throat and stands up. Valerie and Dorain’s eyes follow him as he tugs his jacket on and shrugs it over his shoulders.

“John,” Dorian says, warning in his voice. John shakes his head. Valerie drops her gaze.

“Not today, man. Or tomorrow,” he says pointedly, scowling at Dorian before smiling. “Let’s take a cab, let’s go home.”

Dorian glances at Valerie who looks up and nods at him with a small smile. John doesn’t question what they’ve said when he wasn’t around, what they’ll say to each other in the future when he’s not there. He doesn’t ask Valerie why she’s interested in a man who still wakes up in a cold sweat, throat dry and nightmares seeping into the corners of his mind. He doesn’t ask her about what compels her to be so closely drawn to Dorian, and his relationship with Dorian, because those are all probably questions that can’t be answered, at least not easily.

John finds himself in the middle in the backseat of a cab, Dorian on his right and Valerie on his left. Neither of them touch him, but touch isn’t really necessary. He can feel Valerie’s leg by his, the good one, and Dorian’s deep and steady breathing, a reminder that with every passing day, things do change.

John closes his eyes. _Things do change_.


	2. dorian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dorian observes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> part 2! i'm mostly ignoring canon because otherwise it would be too stressful to write this. this is kind of just filler tbh, i wanted to focus on dorian's mindset and consider that it would take some time for john to be accustomed to something new.

Dorian watches for change; it’s how he keeps his focus and his determination. If it weren’t for the people around him, existence would be simple, and a bore.

He watches Valerie Stahl most of all.

It isn’t that she’s of particular interest. He knows very little about her, besides surface details, and her expressions and words betray very little about what she knows. This doesn’t change the fact that Dorian is acutely aware of what Valerie wants, but won’t say.

He slides across from her at her desk during her lunch break.

“Dorian,” Valerie says, and he catches the slight note of warning clouded with suspicion in her tone. He smiles. It’s the best way he knows to be comforting. “What can I do for you?”

“I apologize if I came on too strongly.” He pauses. “Last night.”

The way time passes is so odd to Dorian. Humans keep track of things that seem petty and small; Dorian understands the purpose but he also finds it trivial. No one else in the known universe measures time in the way humans do. 

“You didn’t,” Valerie says and he smiles at the slight jump in her pulse as she lies. “Stop looking at me like that.” She shakes her head and unpacks her sandwich. “Stop looking at me like you know all my secrets.”

“I don’t,” Dorian says quietly. There’s a part of him that thinks he should reach across the table and take Valerie’s hand, perhaps that would offer her some small comfort. Though he considers that Valerie probably doesn’t need comfort, not in the same way that most people do. She isn’t most people. “I’m sorry.”

“And stop apologizing.” She shoots him a look, frowning. “Where’s John?”

“John is…” He hesitates. “Busy.”

“What, did he go to get Thai from downtown or something?” Valerie mutters. She seems – misplaced. Dorian can feel himself reacting to whatever she’s feeling, and to him it speaks of pain. “He’s been avoiding me.”

Dorian sighs, and it’s a reaction that’s difficult for him to fathom or even explain. It isn’t exasperation or sorrow that makes him let out the heavy breath. It’s something more thorough than that, something less common that doesn’t seem to want to name itself. He searches for the word, digging through every database imaginable for what he’s experiencing, but nothing returns. 

“He’s not just avoiding you,” he explains, closing his eyes and resting his hands on Valerie’s desk. She takes a bite out of her sandwich. He thinks it’s cute that she’s eating peanut butter and jelly, a classic staple of school children. And teenagers, and adults, Dorian supposes. It is what it is. “He’s avoiding us.”

“What does he have against you?” Valerie asks, taking a long gulp from her bottle of water. She raises an eyebrow at Dorian as she pulls her hands through her hair and ties the strands into a loose fitting ponytail.

“I can’t say that with one hundred percent certainty,” Dorian says and shrugs. “I believe he feels that we…attacked him.”

“ _We_?” Valerie asks, snorting. “That was all you.”

Dorian lets himself smile. “I admittedly pushed the subject,” he says, “I was curious what your response would be.”

“What were the odds that I wouldn’t argue?”

“About fifty-fifty,” Dorian says. The real number is 53.2% in favor of Valerie having cut him off, but he was willing to take a chance. “I wanted to know. I was curious.”

“Obviously.” Valerie lowers her gaze. “Okay, so, John’s avoiding me. You. Us. Like we’re some kind of team out to get him. That’s not good.”

“It isn’t,” Dorian agrees. He lets Valerie finish her sandwich and bottle of water before he speaks up again. “I believe he’s mostly in favor of what I offered but I think I should also…consider your feelings. Yesterday, I mostly wanted to gauge the reactions and I suppose that was a little experimental and, perhaps, insensitive. I…should have thought before I did that.” He’s careful not to say _I’m sorry_ again, worried Valerie will roll her eyes at him. If John is avoiding both of them the best he can, then Dorian at least wants Valerie on his side.

“Well, I appreciate it.” Valerie crosses her eyes over her chest for a moment before dropping her hands onto her lap and shrugging her shoulders. She turns her head to the side, glancing over to John’s desk – it’s just then that John heads back into the precinct, a greasy brown bag and a cup carrier with four large cups balanced in his other hand. Dorian and Valerie both watch as he hands over the bag to Richard, who takes out a sandwich wrapped in paper and takes one of the cups and nods thanks. Dorian…isn’t exactly surprised but he still blinks and frowns, and he and Valerie give each other identical looks of confusion. 

Dorian watches as Valerie looks back over at John and he catches her eyes. That he starts to head over, the bag and drinks still in hand, is a surprise to them both. Valerie sits back in her chair and waits and Dorian pushes back to give John room to set down the bag and the drinks.

“Hey,” he says, and doesn’t offer anything else.

“Hi,” Valerie finally says, eyeing the bag and rubbing her pink lips together. “Is that…” She pauses. “Did you bring us lunch?”

John is silent. “No.”

Dorian watches the tension unfold, trying not to smile. “Yes, you did,” he says after a minute of silence and John glares at him. “You brought Valerie lunch because you want to share and talk.”

“Shut up,” John says, but there’s isn’t any heat to his voice. Valerie takes one of the cups and a straw and drinks deeply. “That one wasn’t yours,” John says and sighs as Dorian laughs. “I got you cherry.”

“I don’t mind,” Valerie says, twisting the straw between her fingers with a small smile. “I already ate.”

“Oh.”

“You usually don’t go out for all of us,” Dorian points out. “Well, meaning, I’ve never seen you get Detective Paul food.”

“Does this have to be so serious?” John says, shaking his head. “I just asked if he wanted anything and he took up my offer.” He shrugs. “Anyway, if you already ate, Val, I’m gonna go give Maldonado her order. That was her drink, by the way.” Dorian watches Valerie laugh and John trudges into Maldonado’s office to give her her lunch. She gives him a quick smile and Dorian watches her mouth a grateful _thank you_ , to which John gives her a lazy salute. He walks out of her office and starts back towards Valerie’s desk, and Dorian can’t help but to smile now.

John pulls a chair out and settles down, digging his own sandwich out of the bag and sipping from his cup.

“Are you going to offer me anything, John?” Dorian says and John scoffs.

“Don’t fuck around,” he says, “you don’t eat.”

“It’s just called being polite.”

Valerie laughs again and John shakes his head – but his annoyance is faux because his muscles are relaxed and there’s a smile on his face, even as he rolls his eyes. He’s comforted by their presence, and Dorian starts to rethink whether or not John is avoiding him, and Valerie as well.

Dorian glances at Valerie and she’s looking at him with a raised eyebrow, questioning if they should move in. Dorian gives her a small nod and looks squarely at John.

“I by no means want to pressure you,” he says, and when John looks at him it’s with a scowl. Dorian smiles and stays where he is, knowing full well that physical touch will only make John more cranky. “I just want to make sure that you don’t blame Valerie at all for what happened last night.”

John rolls his eyes which, to Dorian, is a good sign. Exasperation based on fondness and annoyance based, mostly, on the fact that John feels like he’s being treated like he’s fragile. Which he can be, and Dorian _knows_ that John knows this – he just doesn’t like to admit it because he’s stuck in an old mind frame that Dorian has determined is likely passed down from his father. Another question for another day, alas.

“Val, I don’t have a problem with you,” John says, giving her a distinct look. She nods. “Okay? We done here?”

Dorian doesn’t push it any further on that day.

-

“I didn’t know you smoked.” They’re standing outside, rain pounding onto the pavement. Dorian listens to Valerie talk to John about smoking as he looks up into the gray sky. Despite the dreariness outside, lights pulse in the distance in the city, inviting bored citizens to party, gamble, and drink.

“I don’t,” John says. “It’s not good for my health.” Still, he takes out another cigarette. Dorian listen to him light it and Valerie laugh quietly. “It was a habit in my younger years,” he admits. “Now I probably just drink too much to balance it out.”

Valerie laughs again and Dorian turns around to look at them.

“Is that…safe?” John asks, gesturing with his hand before flicking his cigarette. “Aren’t their rules, like, don’t let your android partner get wet? Do you smell like wet dog if we don’t get you cleaned up?”

Dorian blinks twice and stares, intent on making John uncomfortable. When John looks away and grunts under his breath, Dorian smiles. It always works. He steps back under the canopy protecting Valerie and John from the rain and then settles next to John. 

The three of them, in every incarnation, are what Dorian believes to be referred to as a work in progress. He likes the term, in its reference to himself, John, and Valerie. They’re a team in ways, though not partners. John sometimes still has some trouble referring to Dorian as his partner, and Dorian knows he only makes it more agitating by pushing John’s metaphorical buttons.

Dorian sees Valerie with a distant look, staring out into the pouring rain. The sound is comforting to Dorian from his programming – if he digs deep enough, he can figure it as part of his soul, the synthetic soul that reacts to the pattering of raindrops as a reminder that the world continues to move, that it simply hasn’t decided to cease.

Yet.

Between the smell of rain and fading cigarette smoke, Dorian isn’t sure if there’s anything more natural in the world. Three people standing together with unspoken business, rainwater washing through the drains and down into the eco-friendly little forests meant to gather it, prevent erosion, keep the environment safe and clean. 

Dorian can’t exactly help the voice that says people wouldn’t need these methods of protection if they hadn’t fucked it up in the first place. But he also knows he’s not the first person to scoff at human intervention with the laws of nature. 

“Hey. Dorian.” He looks up and blinks to see that Valerie is gone, John watching him now with the cigarette thrown away in the ashtray. “Ready to go? Break time’s over.”

Dorian nods. “We got a case?”

“There’s _always_ a case,” John says.

-

“It’s not a good idea.”

“Why not?” Dorian presses, leaning in. “John, he’s a terrible roommate. Don’t tell me you’ve never had a terrible roommate before.”

John snorts like he’s remembering something both fond and awful. “Well, when I was twenty-two – ”

“No,” Dorian says, “I really don’t want to hear about frat parties or whatever you’re about to share.” John scowls at him but Dorian goes on. “You’ve never had a roommate like Rudy, is my point. He’s my friend, and he’s important and smart and everything else, but living with him – it’s like – it’s too much.”

“You’re awful demanding,” John says, picking up his coffee and taking a sip. They’re working through paperwork now for a case long solved that had finally made it into court. Things have been quiet, Dorian supposes, emotionally wise. He and John remain in whatever formation they have, and Valerie sits quietly on the outskirts and waits for when she and Dorian will have another moment to talk, and, at the very least, talk to John again.

Dorian doesn’t want to breech the subject until he’s absolutely sure, which is why all he’s doing is analyzing John’s behavior. He analyzes him during sex, during lunch and dinner, while he’s drinking a beer. Not in the technical sense; but like any person would analyze any other person. He watches what makes John tense up, what he glowers at, what makes him laugh. What seeps through him like relief. When does he look at Valerie, and when does he avoid her gaze?

It’s complicated, which makes it entertaining.

Still. Dorian needs a change.

“We’re partners, John.”

“You don’t wanna live with me. Trust me.” John stares at the tablet in his hand and starts to scroll through the documents with a deep frown.

“Did you find something?” Dorian asks, looking at his own tablet.

“No,” John says, “I’m just trying to ignore you.”

Dorian smiles. “I’m going to keep bothering you about it,” he admits. “And I think you’d rather I poke you about that than something else.”

John looks up and frowns, then sighs. “We’ll talk about it,” he says, and Dorian knows, because he knows the tone of voice that John is using, that he means both moving in and the – whatever – with Valerie.

Maybe it really is just a matter of time.


End file.
